Stage 4 is the fourth floating island of Blockworld and serves as the fourth level in Kirby's Block Ball. It is a circus tent with two balloons tied to it. It is preceded by Stage 3 and succeeded by Stage 5.
The stage opens with the following animation: The ball bounces around until it hits a Replica item, which splits it in two. The lower paddle bounces both balls upward. One hits the spikes on the ceiling, but the upper paddle catches the other ball. It uses the Kirby Power Bounce, launching Kirby into two blocks. He lands on the center block, spins around, and poses. As this intro implies, the Replica is introduced here.
Stage 4 has a border line of 125,000.
Areas[]
Block Area 1[]
The player can control two paddles, at the top and bottom of the screen. The area is filled with 20 rectangular white blocks; two big, square white blocks; one rectangular gray block; five Ability Blocks, and 12 Indestructible Blocks. They are arranged to act as a chamber the ball can bounce around in—it can only get through the top if Kirby uses a Copy Ability to break the Ability Blocks in the roof. A Replica and a Pinball Block are located at the center of the chamber, which help the player destroy more blocks faster. A Blocky sits in either lower corner. These enemies drop Flip items when defeated.
Block Area 2[]
The player can control a paddle at the bottom of the screen. The area is filled with 12 rectangular white blocks; five rectangular gray blocks; six big, square gray blocks; two small, square gray blocks; two Ability Blocks; eight Indestructible Blocks; and two Score Blocks. A Switch Block is located toward the center of the top portion of the screen; it converts most blocks into Through Blocks, which grant Kirby a bonus if he clears them all under the time limit. He can use the two Pinball Blocks on the ceiling to increase his speed in order to accomplish this. Two Waddle Dees walk up and down in the lower portion of the screen.
Block Area 3[]
The area has a spiky floor, ceiling, and walls. The player can control four paddles, at the top, bottom, and sides of the screen. The area is filled with 14 rectangular white blocks; 11 small, square white blocks; 23 small, square gray blocks; and two Power Blocks. These are arranged to look like a giant UFO. A Switch Block appears below the Power Blocks. A Chuckie and a Wheelie are positioned to the right of the block formation. When hit, they drop a Replica and a Flip, respectively.
Hidden objects: A Warp Star is hidden to the left of the Switch Block.
Target Shooting Area[]
The player can control paddles at the bottom and sides of the screen. The area is filled with 24 Star Blocks and two Power Blocks. Poppy Bros. Jr. walks up and down in the upper-middle portion of the area; hitting him four times causes him to flee and a Warp Star to descend from the ceiling. Touching it takes Kirby to the boss.
Boss Area[]
Main article: Poppy Bros. Sr. |
Poppy Bros. Sr. serves as the boss of the stage. He jumps back and forth across three platforms, dropping bombs that can shrink the bottom paddle. The spikes on the ceiling, walls, and floor are covered by whatever Star Blocks the player collected in the Target Shooting Area.
Trivia[]
- Excluding Boss Areas, which always have spiky walls and ceilings, Stage 4 is the first stage in Kirby's Block Ball to have an area with a spiky ceiling and walls.
- In the Kirby's Block Ball instruction booklet, artwork for Poppy Bros. Sr. is depicted in both the Target Shooting Area and the Boss Area, implying that the enemy in the Target Shooting Area is also Poppy Bros. Sr. However, the Kirby Character Encyclopedia indicates that Poppy Bros. Jr. appears in Kirby's Block Ball; the sprites used in the Target Shooting Area are reused from Poppy Bros. Jr. in Kirby's Pinball Land, and there are no other instances of a Poppy Bros. Jr. in the game, implying that the Target Shooting Area enemy is Poppy Bros. Jr. instead of Poppy Bros. Sr. It is unclear if this is an error due to reusing sprites from Kirby's Pinball Land, if it was always intended to be Poppy Bros. Jr. but Poppy Bros. Sr.'s artwork was used instead because no Poppy Bros. Jr. artwork existed back then (aside from those riding Grizzo or an Apple), or if this is a retroactive change due to Poppy Bros. Jr. being a minion of Poppy Bros. Sr.
References[]